Quantity Over Quality: Why Doing More Leads to Doing Better

Quantity Over Quality: Why Doing More Leads to Doing Better

I’ve always enjoyed challenging myths, especially those that feel outdated or don’t hold up today. I’ve seen too many businesses and professionals slow to a snail’s pace in the pursuit of perfection. When someone says, “I’m a perfectionist,” what they’re really saying is that they are afraid to fail and therefore, they’re holding back their own growth and learning. 

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the idea of "quality over quantity," but when it comes to mastering a skill, particularly in fast-evolving fields like tech, digital marketing, and design, this mindset backfires. The real path to producing high-quality work isn’t about perfecting one piece; it’s about creating many. Quantity, it turns out, is the real key to quality.

There’s a great case study from the world of photography that I came across in the book, Atomic Habits. Jerry Uelsmann, a photography professor, put the "quality vs. quantity" debate to the test with his students. He split the class into two groups. The "quantity" group would be graded purely on the number of photos they produced, while the "quality" group needed only to submit one single, perfect image by the semester’s end. Surprisingly, the best work didn’t come from the students aiming for perfection. Instead, the most remarkable photos came from the quantity group-students who had spent their semester snapping shot after shot, experimenting with lighting, composition, and techniques, learning from each mistake and refining their skills through practice.

The lesson here is powerful: high-quality work is often born from doing more, not from waiting for the perfect idea or execution. This approach holds true in product design, marketing, copywriting, coding and most areas of business. Each attempt sharpens instincts, hones skills, and builds momentum toward mastery. Experimenting more freely, trying various approaches, and testing ideas in real time often reveal insights we wouldn’t discover by aiming for perfection from the start.

The takeaway is clear: stop waiting for the perfect moment or idea and start creating. Don’t let the quest for perfection reduce your practice time. Quality is not a result of rigid planning or overthinking; it’s a byproduct of active, consistent engagement. Just as the photographers learned through taking hundreds of photos, you’ll find that quantity eventually leads to the quality you’ve been seeking all along. So, jump in, create more, and watch your work get better through every output, learning and iteration.

Leadership Tip:

For any conceptual piece of work, encourage your team to deliver 3 ideas or options, before committing to just one, this gives space to explore, experiment and learn.